NATIONAL PTA Hill Day

NATIONAL PTA

Hill Day PA C K E T

2020 National PTA Legislative Conference

Our Ask to Congress

Invest in Health and Well-Being of All Kids

National PTA urges Congress to ensure safeguards are in place to protect our children. The long-term success of our nation depends on increased supports and protections for our children and robust and equitable investments in our public education system.

From crumbling infrastructure and gun violence to inadequate ratios of school counselors to support students and too many children struggling with hunger and food insecurity, there have been far too many children left with insufficient resources.

This is why National PTA and our 3.5 million members across the country advocate to ensure schools have the proper resources to help every child learn, grow and succeed. To make every child's potential a reality, Congress must:

Increase funding for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers to $15 million The Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC) is a bipartisan program that provides competitive federal grants to statewide entities to promote and implement evidence-based family engagement strategies that further the academic progress of our nation's children.

? Currently, SFECs are supporting children and families in 13 states around the country. Unfortunately, due to funding constraints, families without a center in their state have not been able to benefit from this program.

? We urge Congress to increase funding to at least $15 million in FY 2020 and put this program on a funding path to ensure that all families across the country benefit in the coming years.

? According to a Rice University study, family engagement is the most important driver of a parent's satisfaction with their child's school, yet school districts frequently fail to offer parents a voice in the education system. SFECs can provide critical professional development to school leaders and teachers on effective family engagement strategies.

Include schools in any comprehensive infrastructure package A growing body of research shows that high-quality facilities help improve academic achievement, reduce student and staff absences, and reduce suspensions. Despite the positive effects of adequate facilities, far too many children and adults continue to attend and work in schools that are unsafe and unhealthy.

? Congress must include provisions of the Rebuild America's Schools Act (H.R.865/S.266) in any infrastructure package considered. H.R 865/S.266 would create a $70 billion grant program and $30 billion tax credit bond program prioritizing Title I schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff. The bill would also create over 1.9 million jobs by addressing critical physical and digital infrastructure needs in schools.

2020 National PTA Legislative Conference

Our Ask to Congress

? The average public school is nearly 50 years old. Even if local districts find innovative and creative ways to finance infrastructure projects, some districts will inevitably be left behind. Similar to the federal role in upgrading roads and bridges, there is a federal role to help eliminate the extreme inequities that currently exist in school facilities.

? Congress must ensure that public schools are included in any infrastructure package considered this year. Schools are a critical part of our nation's infrastructure and it is essential that investments are made to repair, renovate and modernize school facilities to ensure they are safe, healthy and wellequipped to advance student achievement, help grow our economy and improve our competitiveness as a nation.

Improve the federal school meal program through Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) National PTA has always recognized that children need access to nutritious meals in order to thrive in and out of the classroom, and we have a proud legacy of leading the federal school meal program. Our advocacy was instrumental in the adoption of the original child nutrition legislation, the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act of 1946. Since that time, we have continuously pushed Congress to fulfill its responsibility to ensure that our nation's vulnerable children are provided healthy school meals.

? We urge Congress to reassert its authority over the federal school meal program and reauthorize the child nutrition program to ensure food served in schools meets the highest nutritional standards. Over the last few years, the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 has been subject to repeated regulatory rollbacks, weakening standards for milk, whole grains and sodium served to children.

? Food consumed at school can make up half of a child's daily calorie intake--and even more for the 22 million children who participate in the free and reduced-price school meal program. For this reason, it's essential that school meals and snacks meet nutrition standards aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) for fruits and vegetables, sodium and whole grains, milk and added sugars.

? No child should be denied a school meal or otherwise shamed because of an unpaid school meal bill. Reauthorization of CNR must include language from the Anti-Lunch Shaming Act (H.R. 2311/S. 1119) to prohibit the stigmatization of children who are unable to pay for meals.

? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends students have at least 20 minutes for "seat time" for lunch during the school day. Students who have more time for lunch, increase their consumption of food and key nutrients, include fruits and vegetables and decrease of plate waste. Congress should include the Healthy Meal Time Act (H.R. 5463) in CNR to help districts and schools implement best practices for meal times.

? Congress must include the School Food Modernization Act (H.R.3444/S.1949) in CNR. Many school kitchens were built decades ago without adequate capacity for procuring, storing, refrigerating, preparing and serving the nutritious foods they would like to offer today. This bill will give school districts and food service administrators the tools and resources they need to prepare meals that meet robust nutrition standards and provide wholesome, delicious meals that children will enjoy.

National PTA Legislative Checklist

Embed Parent and Family Engagement into Education Related Legislation

Parents and their children are the consumers of our nation's public education system, and parents have always been essential partners in education. However, they haven't always been included at the decision-making table. Congress must:

Include effective parent and family stakeholder engagement provisions in education and youth-related reauthorization bills

Enact legislation that establishes parent and teacher advisory committees, which report to the U.S. Secretary of Education and Members of Congress on the implementation of ESSA

Conduct appropriate oversight--including hearing directly from parents and families--on ESSA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Head Start Act, Children Nutrition Act and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act

Continue to Increase Investments in Education Through a Regular Appropriations Process

National PTA urges Congress to raise the discretionary spending caps and build on its recent investments in public education. A final appropriations bill must:

Increase funding for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs), under Title IV-E in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), from $10 to $15 million

Provide continued investments in Title I, Part A, including an increase to the family engagement set-aside in Title I, Sec. 1116 of ESSA from 1% to 2%

Refrain from funding any private school choice proposals, including private school voucher programs, tax credits and tuition tax deductions

Fund Title IV-A, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), at its authorized level of $1.6 billion

Fully fund state grants under Part B, Sec. 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure students with special needs receive the necessary resources to succeed in school and beyond

Maintain funding at $27.4 million for Parent Information Centers under National Activities in IDEA which includes Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs), Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC), and Technical Assistance for Parent Centers

Sufficiently invest in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs under the Head Start Act

Make resources available to states and school districts to increase student support services to meet recommended ratios of students to school counselors (250:1), school psychologists (500:1), school nurses and school social workers (250:1)

Provide dedicated resources and incentives for states and localities to support and improve school facilities and infrastructure

Enact Legislation to Protect Youth, Families and Communities From Gun and Other Violence

Firearms are the second-leading cause of death for American children and teens, with nearly 1,600 children and teens dying by gun homicide every year. Congress must:

Fund federal research on the causes and effects of gun violence on youth and in communities, as well as research on evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence

Prohibit the use of any federal funds, including Title IV-A, to purchase or train school personnel in the use of firearms

Require a waiting period and a comprehensive background check for any individual prior to buying a firearm from both licensed and unlicensed dealers

Restrict internet gun sales including sales of kits, such as bump stocks, that can be used to make or modify guns

Ban the sale, transfer, manufacturing and importation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines

Reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The programs and services authorized in IDEA have had a tremendous impact on the lives of more than 6.7 million students with disabilities. In the reauthorization of IDEA, Congress should:

Include a legal definition of family engagement in education based on National PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships within Section 602 of IDEA

Require transition planning services for students with disabilities to begin no later than the age of 14 and incentivize school districts to employ specialized staff to provide these services

Support the inclusion of behavioral intervention plans in a student's IEP and 504b plan

116th Congress

Protect Student Privacy Online and Increase Access to Technology

Federal laws must be updated to better protect our children and their educational information online, while increasing students' access to the technological services they need to succeed in a 21st-century learning environment. Congress should:

Reauthorize the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to require states, school districts and schools to be transparent and engaged with families on the development, implementation and notification of student data privacy policies and procedures

Reauthorize the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to provide sensible protections on the collection, use, storage, security and destruction of student data and educational records

Provide resources to states and school districts to pilot creative methods of increasing access to digital devices and high-capacity broadband services, especially for students and families in rural and lower-income communities

Support FERPA's Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), which provides valuable resources and guidance to ensure the privacy, security and confidentiality of student records

Reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act

One in six adolescents are obese, while one in five face hunger daily. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) is a critical piece of legislation that improves nutrition standards in our nation's schools. Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act must:

Boost child health by including robust school meal requirements on milk, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, calorie limits, and limits on sugar and sodium

Require schools to make nutrition information more readily available and enhance opportunities for parents to participate in the development of local school wellness policies

Ensure low-income and at-risk youth have access to school meals programs

Deliver technical assistance and resources to schools that are not meeting the nutrition standards

Provide federal grants and loan assistance for schools to improve kitchen infrastructure and equipment

National PTA Legislative Checklist

For over 120 years, National PTA advocates have been at the heart of our nation's greatest advances for youth, such as child labor laws, universal kindergarten classes, and a juvenile justice system.

We are committed to working with the 116th Congress to enact legislation that provides children with access to a high-quality public education in a learning environment that is safe, healthy and secure. We urge Congress to Take Action for Kids on the issues in this checklist.

For additional information on National PTA's Public Policy Agenda, visit PolicyAgenda or contact

the Government Affairs staff at GovtAffairs@.

116th Congress

National PTA Legislative Checklist

? 2019 PTA All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. (2/19)

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of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.

Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs)

PTA and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Our Ask

National PTA urges Congress to increase its investment in family engagement in education by providing at least $15 million (a $5 million increase over FY 2020) for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) program in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED) appropriations bill.

Students with engaged families

Why do Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) need additional funding?

Attend school more regularly

Earn better grades

Enroll in advanced-level programs

Have higher graduation rates1

Thirteen states have SFECs up and running. With only $10 million appropriated since FY18, no new centers can be established without additional funding. This means 41.7 million K-12 students and their families are unable to bene t from enhanced engagement supports and services provided by SFECs unless Congress provides more funding.

Schools would need to increase spending by more than $1,000 per pupil to gain the same results as e ective family engagement2

Teachers are more likely to remain in schools whose families are involved and where they are able to develop trusting relationships with families3

What are SFECs?

The bipartisan Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC) program provides competitive grants to statewide organizations to create centers that promote and implement evidence-based family engagement strategies. The SFEC program provides much-needed technical assistance and partnership development to states and school districts to foster meaningful engagement with families to further their children's academic and developmental progress. SFECs also provide vital direct services to improve engagement among children, parents, teachers, school leaders, counselors, administrators and other school personnel with each other.

The 12 grantees span the country--from Hawaii to Connecticut--and will serve rural, suburban and urban communities through centers in their state. Each grantee will take evidence-based approaches to engage marginalized families to support the success of their children at school, as well as build robust statewide partnerships to reach and engage more parents in leadership and education decision-making. Each grantee will take a unique approach to empowering families as critical partners in their child's education through direct services and systemic enhancements. The program is operating on a ve-year cycle that expires in 2023, which means no additional centers can be established without increased funding.

References

1. Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. Annual Synthesis 2002. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools. Retrieved from

2. Houtenville, A. and K.S. Conway. (2008). Parental E ort, School Resources, and Student Achievement. Journal of Human Resources, XLIII. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. Retrieved from les/docs/conway-may08.pdf

3. Allensworth, E, S. Ponisciak, and C. Mazzeo. (2009). The Schools Teachers Leave: Teacher Mobility in Chicago Public Schools. Chicago, IL: Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute. Retrieved from les/publications/CCSR_Teacher_Mobility.pdf

4. Expected funding cycle will end in 2023. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from ces/o ce-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/school-choice-improvement-programs/statewide-family-engagement-centers-program/awards/

Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs)

PTA and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

State CT KY AZ NE MA MN SC SD WV OH HI

MD, PA

Current SFEC Grantees

Center Name

Connecticut Statewide Family Engagement Center

Grantee

Capitol Region Education Council

Expected Funding Over Five Years

$4,594,540

Kentucky Statewide Family Engagement Center

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

$4,680,630

Arizona Statewide Family Engagement Center

National Center for Families Learning

$4,647,940

Nebraska Statewide Family Engagement Center

National Center for Families Learning

$4,577,807

Massachusetts Family Engagement Center

The Federation for Children With Special Needs, Inc.

$4,911,621

Minnesota Statewide Family Engagement Center

PACER Center, Inc.

$3,000,000

South Carolina Statewide Family Engagement Center

University of South Carolina

$4,663,655

South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center

West River Foundation

$4,481,613

West Virginia Statewide Family Engagement Center

EdVenture Group, Inc.

$4,835,680

Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center

The Ohio State University

$4,186,429

Hawaii Statewide Family Engagement Center

University of Hawaii

$4,843,968

Collaborative Action for Family Engagement Center

Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium

$4,920,989

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? are registered service marks of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.

National PTA 2020 Legislative Conference

School Infrastructure One-pager

Crumbling school facilities pose significant health and safety threats to over 50 million students and 3 million teachers in public schools. Chronic exposure to indoor air pollution, mold, pests, pesticides, radon, asbestos, lead, inadequate lighting and elevated noise levels is common and has a significant, negative impact on students' health as well as their ability to learn and perform in school.

In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that almost half of U.S. public schools have environmental conditions that contribute to poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ). A 2014 Department of Education study estimated that it would cost $197 billion to bring all public schools into good condition.

And that's not all. Too many schools lack access to sufficient high-speed digital infrastructure needed to support 21st-century learning. A 2017 EducationSuperHighway report found that over 19,000 schools serving more than 11.6 million students are, "without the minimum connectivity necessary for digital learning."

As Congress begins the overdue discussion on improvements to our nation's infrastructure, National PTA urges members of Congress to:

Include Schools in an Infrastructure Package Congress has indicated a desire to take up an infrastructure package to invest in America's roads, transit, rail and aviation infrastructure. Additionally, Chairs of three U.S. House Committees released a framework for a five-year, $760 billion investment in infrastructure titled the "Moving Forward Framework."1

However, the framework does not include robust investments in school infrastructure. While Congressional leadership has indicated that schools will be part of an infrastructure package, their exclusion from formal documents such as the "Moving Forward Framework" is cause for concern. Similar to the federal role in upgrading roads and bridges, there must be a federal role to help eliminate the extreme inequities that currently exist in school facilities.

? Congress must ensure that public schools are included in any infrastructure package considered this year. Schools are a critical part of our nation's infrastructure and it is essential that investments are made to repair, renovate and modernize school facilities to ensure they are safe, healthy and well-equipped to advance student achievement, help grow our economy, and improve our competitiveness as a nation.

1 United States House of Representatives (2020). Moving Forward Framework. Retrieved from

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